Egg custard tartlets

If you love shop bought egg custards, then this is the recipe for you. This recipe is as near to bakery egg custards that I have ever tasted.

This recipe does not use ‘normal shortcrust pastry’ it uses this gorgeous rich shortcrust pastry that these egg custards need and compliments them beautifully.

Ingredients:

The pastry

• 200g Plain flour
• 100g Caster sugar
• 100g chilled cubed butter
• Grated zest of a lemon
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt
• A few pinches of grated nutmeg

The custard filling

• 300ml whole milk
• 50g caster sugar
• grated zest of a lemon
• Few drops of vanilla essence
• 3 small eggs

Method:

You will need muffin tins for 10 tarts or if you want mini tarts you will need 2 x 12 bun trays

For the pastry:

Sift the flour in the bowl add a pinch of salt & cubed butter. Rub with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add sugar and lemon zest. Add the egg, cutting it in with a knife to form into a ball DO NOT overwork your pastry.  Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

For the filling:

Heat the milk (do not boil)  with the zest of a lemon add the sugar and stir until its dissolved. leave to cool. Brush some melted butter in the muffin tins and shake a dusting of flour into each one. Then tip out any excess. Beat the eggs and add them to the milk then add the vanilla essence. Strain the milk mixture through a sieve to collect the lemon zest.

When the pastry has chilled, Preheat the oven to 180°. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured board and cut out 10 equal rounds about 10cm in size. Place in the muffin tin gently pressing the pastry into the side. Pour the custard filling into each tart then sprinkle nutmeg on the top of each one.

Bake for 25 mins or until the custard has set. Leave until cold before eating. Enjoy!